As has been the case approximately three dozen times in this GOP campaign (and that, friends, is only a slight exaggeration), we seem to creeping inexorably back to the Romney inevitability theme in the fight to face Barack Obama in November.

New polling shows the former Massachusetts governor solidifying his lead in Arizona, and quite possibly edging into the lead in Michigan. If those new polls are correct, Tuesday will afford Romney to opportunity to portray himself as “comeback kid.” And if that is the story four days from now, a lot of the Super Tuesday polling we have seen may well go out the window.

That is the big story in a relatively light Friday on the public opinion front. Let’s begin with those GOP primary numbers, with the House of Ras taking center stage on the Republican side of the ledger.

NATIONAL (Gallup Tracking): Santorum 33, Romney 27, Gingrich 16, Paul 11

ARIZONA (Rasmussen): Romney 42, Santorum 29, Gingrich 16, Paul 8

MICHIGAN (Mitchell Research/Rosetta Stone): Romney 36, Santorum 33, Paul 12, Gingrich 9

MICHIGAN (Rasmussen): Romney 40, Santorum 34, Paul 10, Gingrich 9

All is reasonably quiet on the general election front, but the Rasmussen tracker rebounded slightly in the GOP direction after veering sharply towards Obama in the past couple of days. The net result, however, is still a reasonably comfortable Obama advantage. As it relates to the president, Rasmussen also is a little more bearish on Pennsylvania, and a little more bullish on Montana, than one might expect.

NATIONAL (Rasmussen Tracking): Obama d. Santorum (48-42); Obama d. Romney (48-41)

MONTANA (Rasmussen): Romney d. Obama (48-41); Santorum d. Obama (45-41)

PENNSYLVANIA (Rasmussen): Obama d. Romney (45-44); Obama d. Santorum (46-40)

Is this the end of Santor-mania? A few thoughts on that past the jump.

Daily Kos